


you're not riding on this wave alone

by Lise



Series: Remember This Cold [46]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: (not forever but sort of), (sometimes I write nice things!), Dancing, Fluff, M/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Slow Dancing, Steve & Loki 5Ever, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, making things nice before things get ruined forever, okay that's enough, total fucking sap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-24
Updated: 2016-05-24
Packaged: 2018-06-10 08:57:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6949579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lise/pseuds/Lise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve has plan for a night out on the town. For once, it's Loki who's along for the ride.</p>
            </blockquote>





	you're not riding on this wave alone

**Author's Note:**

> This was posted on Tumblr on May 17th, a short and fluffy piece for the fourth anniversary of the pub date for [I heard you killed your only friend last year](http://archiveofourown.org/works/406573), the very first Remember This Cold fic. It's going up here late because a) I forgot and b) I like to offer special treats sometimes to people who put up with my blog.
> 
> It is based on/inspired by [this art](http://portraitoftheoddity.tumblr.com/post/133705196259/why-captain-im-surprised-i-never-realized-you) which was based on [this headcanon](http://veliseraptor.tumblr.com/post/130201411120/steve-and-loki-go-dancing-at-this-old-retro-club), as well as a prompt a while ago for Steve and Loki slow dancing. This is shorter than I usually post on its own, but I wanted this one to get its own fic. Because reasons.
> 
> I've been writing this monster for four years now. Let's see if I make it to five. (I mean, considering Thor: Ragnarok comes out next year, and I still have Infinity War plans...maybe I should be wondering about making it to ten.)
> 
> Happy ficiversary, y'all.

Steve had been fussing around in the bedroom doing something for a while, but when Loki had called back to him to ensure he wasn’t tangled in the bedsheets he had hastily answered that he was fine, and after a moment’s consideration Loki decided to believe him. 

Now he was rather wondering what he’d missed, though, studying Steve from shiny dress shoes to pressed shirt and vest and slowly raising his eyebrows.

“You are very snappily dressed,” he said, not quite cautious. “Do you have plans?" 

Steve fidgeted. He looked a little breathless, a little nervous, and Loki wasn’t sure if that made him more curious or wary. Perhaps both. "Yes, actually,” he said.  "I do.“ 

"You had not mentioned them to me,” Loki said, trying not to feel stung. Steve shifted again. 

“That’s kind of the idea of a surprise,” he said. Loki blinked. 

“Ah,” he said after a moment. “So you have plans with _me,_ and that is why you are all dressed up?" 

"Yeah,” Steve said. “You should…probably put on something nice too. Not that you don’t always look nice, but…”

Loki half smiled, amused. “And may I ask after the nature of this surprise?" 

"No,” Steve said firmly. “The car’s going to be here in about thirty minutes. Is that long enough?" 

"More than,” Loki said, definitely curious now. Steve still looked nervous, but some of what he’d taken for that was excitement. Whatever he had come up with, he was pleased with himself over it. 

It was quick work to change into clothing that would appropriately match Steve’s - although he added a deep green vest over his dress shirt before emerging to find Steve on the phone. “Yeah, just - sorry, gotta go,” he said, hastily, and hung up, turning to look at Loki and just stared at him for a second before huffing a little laugh. “Still get a little…you look stunning.”

“Flatterer,” Loki murmured, but he padded over and kissed Steve’s cheek lightly. “Are you going to tell me where we are going now?" 

Steve frowned at him. "You know what a surprise is, right?" 

"Worth a try.” Loki ran his fingers over Steve’s chest. “Sometimes my wiles work on you.”

“Your wiles, huh?” Steve said. Loki bent his head and brushed his lips very lightly against Steve’s neck, exhaling over skin to feel him tense. 

“Oh yes,” he murmured. “Do I need to prove it?”

“Hmm,” Steve breathed, moving in toward Loki only to pull back when his phone buzzed, flushing. “That’ll be the car." 

Loki drew away only slowly. "Oh, all right,” he said, with a smile that was more than faintly wicked. “I can be patient." 

Steve’s flush deepened. "If you try anything in the car,” he said, in a warning voice. Loki widened his eyes. 

“Would I ever?" 

Steve made a face at him. "You _did._ That one time in the limo, when you…” Steve made an eloquent gesture. Loki cocked his head to the side. 

“When I…?”

Steve swatted at his arm. “Come on, you devil,” he said. “Get in the car. We’ve got a date.”

* * *

Loki heard the music coming from inside almost as soon as he stepped out of the car. He glanced at Steve, eyebrows rising. “This sounds familiar,” he murmured, and Steve’s cheeks went a little pink. 

“How about that,” he said, entirely failing at nonchalance. Loki laughed quietly and took Steve’s arm in his. 

“Well. Let me see this surprise of yours.” 

Steve escorted him in to a room, and even if he didn’t know it well Loki could recognize the difference between the decor here and most of what he’d seen elsewhere. Between that and the music…Loki turned to Steve, eyebrows raised, and he looked suddenly self-conscious. 

“I thought…” He took a deep breath and let it out. “I thought it might be fun to take you to a place like I would’ve, you know. Back in the day.” Steve paused and made a bit of a face. “Well, like someone would’ve. I wasn’t doing much dancing. And we wouldn’t’ve been able to…” He glanced at his and Loki’s hands. 

Loki huffed a little laugh. “So much the better, then.” He glanced around, curious, eyes lighting on the band playing on a slightly raised stage, the tables ringed around an open floor. In a city that so often seemed cramped, the space surprised him. There were a few others, most sitting, some, it seemed, attempting to dance before melting into laughter. 

“Table for Rogers, please,” Steve said to the hostess, and she led them back to take their seats. Circling around the dance floor, Loki noticed one older couple who seemed to actually know what they were doing. 

“It’s not all right,” Steve whispered to Loki once they were seated. “There’s a few things that…but it would probably feel odder if that weren’t the case.” His expression turned worried. “Is this all right? I know this is my nostalgia trip, not yours, but…”

Loki reached out to brush his fingers across the back of Steve’s hand. “This is good,” he soothed. “I _am_ expecting you to dance with me after dinner, however.” 

Steve shook his head a little. “You know I don’t really dance.” 

“We shall see,” Loki said lightly, but with a smile.

* * *

The food was good. Not too elaborate, but nice. “This is better than anything we’d’ve had, too,” Steve said, slicing a bit off his pork tenderloin. “No rationing, better spices…bananas aside, I can’t complain about 21st century food.” He looked down at his plate, and his lips twisted a little wryly. “Better than we’d’ve been able to afford, too.”

Loki ate slowly, dragging out dinner, but there was only so long it could last. But by the time he polished the last sauce away with a crust of bread, there were fewer people in the restaurant. He waited a bit longer, letting the meal settle, before leaning forward. “All right, Captain,” Loki murmured. “Now. You can’t take me out dancing and not _dance.”_

Steve took a deep breath and blew it out. “Thanks for waiting until there were fewer people to embarrass myself in front of, at least,” he said wryly. Loki’s lips twitched.

“You are welcome.”

Steve stood up, after a moment longer, offering his hand to Loki, who took it and stood. He let Steve lead him to the dance floor, noting the way a few heads turned to follow them and taking the precautionary measure of casting a working that would ensure no photographs of the two of them slipped out. Steve turned Loki toward him, and at least he seemed to be standing right, from what Loki could tell by observation, which was more than he could say for the start of his previous attempt at dancing lessons. 

Steve met his eyes and gave him a small smile. He waited for the downbeat and-

They danced. Steve very nearly swept him off his feet, hands guiding Loki, and if it took him a few moments to pick up he could follow easily enough. But Steve…Steve moved with all the grace and beauty that he showed in battle, turned here to a different purpose. It had been a long time since Loki had danced with anyone - really danced. It felt good, letting himself be led; he could feel a smile spreading across his face and didn’t stop it, letting his thoughts spin away, narrowing to Steve’s hands and his face (brow furrowed slightly in concentration), and the movement.

He felt the subtle cue and leaned back. Steve caught him, dipping him toward the ground, still for just a moment. He smiled, proud and bright in a way that made Loki’s heart lurch, and pulled Loki back up, both hands on his waist. 

“Oh,” Loki said, ever so slightly breathless. “You _devious_ man.” 

Steve’s face, already a little pink, went pinker. “I can’t believe you didn’t notice,” he said. “That I actually managed to keep it a secret.”

“You’ve been taking lessons,” Loki said, resting his hands on Steve’s shoulders, still nearly dizzy. “From whom?”

“Bucky, mostly,” Steve said. “He was the one who did all the dancing. Natasha, some. And I did a lot of watching videos on the internet.” 

Loki laughed, softly. “It seems to have worked. I am impressed.” 

“You should be. I didn’t step on your toes once,” Steve teased.

Loki leaned in, tipping his head back to kiss Steve’s lips ever so softly. “Give me another dance, Captain?”

“Sure, Your Highness,” Steve said, and smiled.


End file.
